Town Jazz, the three-day in town event serves up a bountiful menu of jazz designed to add additional hours of pleasure and entertainment to its venerable progenitor, Jazz in the Pines.
Jazz luminaries from all over Southern California have answered the call of Idyllwild jazz icon Marshall Hawkins to play at Town Jazz. The Idyllwild Chamber of Commerce is providing support for the event now in its second year. “This event is intended to complement Jazz in the Pines,” said Hawkins and was designed to offer locals and festival attendees morning and evening opportunities to hear more jazz in Idyllwild’s town center. It is also intended to promote the business of local merchants and restauranteurs and to introduce festival attendees to Idyllwild’s business core.
This year, four additional venues have been added to the original Main Stage venue at Jo’An’s Restaurant — The Creek House, Idyll Awhile Wine Shoppe Bistro, Mile High Café and Café Aroma.
Beginning Friday evening, Aug. 24, and concluding Sunday evening Aug. 26, Town Jazz features an impressive lineup including Yves Evans, Sherry Williams, Melissa Morgan (the “Three Divas” who will close the event on Sunday night at Jo’An’s Restaurant), Henry Franklin, Joshua White, Paul Carman, Mundell Lowe, Bob Boss, Graham Dechter, the Peter Sprague Consort, Gilbert Castellanos, Daniel Jackson, Roy Gonzales, and Najite and the Seahawk MOJO String Quintet.
Casey Abrams, featured as special guest with the Three Divas, closes the event on Sunday, Aug. 24, at Jo’An’s from 7:45 to 9:30 p.m. Check the ad on page 12 of this week’s edition for schedule information and all artists’ venue and appearance times.
As before, wristband tickets will be sold at Jo’An’s Restaurant. The $20 ticket price permits admission to all venues for all scheduled Town Jazz acts. Tickets will also be available at Mile High and Idyll Awhile Wine Shoppe.
The Chamber is responsible for selling tickets and collecting money, including donations. Funds will then be used to pay featured talent and cover advertising expense. Volunteers are needed. Call (951) 659-5015 if interested.
In addition to evening entertainment at all venues, this year adds the opportunity for jazz, coffee and breakfast at both Café Aroma and Mile High Café on Saturday and Mile High and the Creek House on Sunday.
Hawkins, a walking history of jazz who has played with the greats, brings this weekend as a gift to the town. As he is fond of saying, “Idyllwild jazz, all the time, all over.” As a complement to Jazz in the Pines, the weekend now offers a breakfast, lunch, dinner and dessert smorgasbord of delicious jazz.
